Rediscovery of the federally protected Scarce Jester Butterfly Symbrenthia silana de Nicéville, 1885 (Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae) from the Eastern Himalaya and Garo Hills, northeastern India

Authors

  • K. Kunte

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2371.858-66

Abstract

Symbrenthia silana, the Scarce Jester Butterfly (Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae), is legally protected under Schedule-I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, and listed as Vulnerable to extinction following IUCN’s Red List Categories and Criteria in the Red Data Book of Indian butterflies. However, the species is so rare that it has not been seen for ca 90 years and nothing is known about its status, habitat and populations. Here I report rediscovery of the species from Sikkim, Namdapha Tiger Reserve and Nokrek National Park in the Eastern Himalaya and Garo Hills of northeastern India. The first pictures of live butterflies are presented along with information on the habits and habitat of the species, and a discussion of its status as a vulnerable species.

Author Biography

K. Kunte

Krushnamegh Kunte is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University. He has studied Indian butterflies for 20 years, and is now extensively surveying butterfly diversity in the Eastern Himalaya. He is author of the book, Butterflies of Peninsular India (2000, Universities Press, Hyderabad).

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Published

26-05-2010

Issue

Vol 2, No 5 (2010)

Section

Articles

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